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M+, Hong Kong. Gift of Sammy's Kitchen, 2013, © Sammy's Kitchen Ltd.
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Sammy's Kitchen 森美餐廳
Sammy Yip 葉聯
Neon sign, Sammy's Kitchen, 204-206 Queen's Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong 「森美餐廳」霓虹招牌
circa 1978
For more than three decades, this Angus cow playfully announced the location of Sammy’s Kitchen, a restaurant in the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood of Hong Kong. Designed by the restaurant’s proprietor, Sammy Yip, this large neon sign was produced in the Fu Wah neon workshop (founded by Pak-Fuk Chiu in 1969) and required a high degree of skill and craftsmanship. Thin glass tubes are heated to high temperatures with gas flames and then bent by hand according to the design. Pumping equipment creates a vacuum in the tube before it is filled with neon or argon gas, which glow red and blue, respectively, when electrodes are attached to the tube ends. Other colours are achieved with coloured glass or tinted interior coatings.
In the post-war decades, neon signs became one of the defining features of Hong Kong’s urban environment. For many observers, the glow of neon signalled the city’s bright future—its economic engine made visible. In recent years, however, the aging signs are fast disappearing from Hong Kong’s streets, due to safety concerns, and tighter regulation of ‘illegal structures’ (including Sammy’s Kitchen’s sign). With fewer craftsmen dedicated to making neon in the traditional manner, and greater environmental concerns, many signs are also being replaced with longer-lasting and more energy-efficient LEDs. Nevertheless, a growing appreciation of neon as a distinctive part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage has prompted preservation efforts, encouraging the city’s small but active community of neon sign-makers.
In the post-war decades, neon signs became one of the defining features of Hong Kong’s urban environment. For many observers, the glow of neon signalled the city’s bright future—its economic engine made visible. In recent years, however, the aging signs are fast disappearing from Hong Kong’s streets, due to safety concerns, and tighter regulation of ‘illegal structures’ (including Sammy’s Kitchen’s sign). With fewer craftsmen dedicated to making neon in the traditional manner, and greater environmental concerns, many signs are also being replaced with longer-lasting and more energy-efficient LEDs. Nevertheless, a growing appreciation of neon as a distinctive part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage has prompted preservation efforts, encouraging the city’s small but active community of neon sign-makers.
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